SPRINGFIELD -- A Springfield police officer opened fire on a driver who allegedly struck a pedestrian and injured several officers early Tuesday morning.

No one was hit by the single shot fired by the officer, whom police declined to identify. The officer aimed at the tires of the woman's car but missed, police said.

The suspect, 51-year-old Rhonda Lee Brown of Jamaica, Vt., was taken into custody around 3:40 a.m. near the intersection of Dwight and Ringgold streets after police boxed in her vehicle near the driveway of a Dwight Street home.

Brown was expected to be arraigned Tuesday in Springfield District Court on six counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, leaving the scene of an accident with serious injuries, resisting arrest and refusing to submit, Springfield Police Sgt. John M. Delaney said.

The incident began around 3:30 a.m. in the city's South End, where Brown, driving a White Chrysler Sebring with New York plates, allegedly struck a 33-year-old man in the parking lot of the Dunkin' Donuts at the corner of Main and Central streets.

According to witnesses, the woman was driving "crazy" and fled north on Main Street after the incident. About seven minutes later, police received a 911 call from the McDonalds at the corner of Main and Plainfield streets, where Brown was "smashing into cars parked in the lot and smashing into the McDonald's itself," Delaney said.

Staff photo by Conor BerrySpringfield police cordon off a section of Main Street by McDonald's in the North End after a woman driving a white car with New York plates led police on a circuitous chase through the city early Tuesday morning. Initial police reports indicated shots were fired during the chase, but details were not immediately available.

When officers arrived at the restaurant, Brown was "driving in circles and smashing into cars," Delaney said. Officers attempted to break her car windows to remove her from the vehicle, but Brown continued to drive erratically and charged at officers with her car, Delaney said.

Police said Brown struck Officer Chad Joseph in the legs and Officer Joseph Colglazier in the arm, prompting police to shoot at Brown's vehicle. Delaney said the officer who fired the shot feared for his life and the lives of his fellow officers.

Officer Mike Rivera and Sgt. David Barton used their cruisers to form a roadblock at Dwight and Morgan streets, forcing Brown to stop near the driveway of a Dwight Street residence directly across from Ringgold Street.

As officers surrounded Brown and removed her from the car, she screamed "I want to die" and "shoot me," according to Delaney.

Several other officers were injured in the incident, including Rivera, who sustained cuts to his hand, Barton, who injured his back, and Officer Franklin McNeil, who suffered a leg injury.

Initial reports indicated other pedestrians might also have been injured by Brown, but that could not immediately be confirmed with police.

Joseph was relieved from duty, which means he will likely be out for a while, and Colglazier was released from duty, which means he was sent home for the night, Delaney said. The other three injured officers returned to duty.

Staff photo by Conor BerryA flatbed truck from CJ's Towing Unlimited hauls away the car driven by a woman involved in a Springfield car chase from a North End driveway early Tuesday morning.

At points during the chase, Brown was headed for Chicopee, prompting police in that city to guard the border in preparation for picking up the pursuit if it crossed the city line.

But Brown doubled back, heading for the McDonald's in the North End. From there, she led multiple police cruisers to nearby Dwight Street, where the incident ended around 3:42 a.m.

During the chase, one police officer cautioned "she's driving at officers," while another stated, "She hit a couple of pedestrians, buildings, cars -- you name it."

Another officer said, "She seems to be completely oblivious."

There was no immediate word on whether Brown received medical treatment after the incident.